Sumlin owns the mic; Aggies report in a week

COLLEGE STATION – Kevin Sumlin is ready to get back on the football field and off the speaking circuit.

“I didn’t come here to do commentary all of the time,” the first-year Texas A&M coach said this week. “I came here to coach football, and I’ll be happier next week at this time than I am right now.”

The Aggies report on Thursday and start practice one week from today. Sumlin spoke to the Brazos County A&M Club on Wednesday – where I caught up with him at the Zone Club of Kyle Field – and will be in Houston tonight for the annual Coach’s Night, which raises money for scholarships for area high schoolers bound for A&M.

He wraps up the speaking circuit on Sunday night in San Antonio, and will also visit the Texas High School Coaches Association annual convention this weekend in the Alamo City.

A few nuggets from the Wednesday shindig before about 700 at Kyle:

* I asked Sumlin whether he anticipates freshman defensive lineman Ed Ray of Missouri to qualify academically. Sumlin said it’s a “wait-and-see” proposition right now on Ray, and that there’s no official word one way or the other.

“I’ve got my own problems,” he said. “Have you seen the back end of our schedule this year?”

The Aggies play three consecutive road games at Auburn, Mississippi State and Alabama from Oct. 27-Nov. 10.

* After golf with Sumlin at Traditions brought $1,800 during the live auction, a smiling Sumlin said, “I just learned about 1,000 other people don’t want to spend four hours with me. I’m making a note.”

* Sumlin said strength coach Larry Jackson has earned a “bunch of nicknames” from the players, many starting with four-letter words.

* Sumlin asked the crowd to send any positive notes directly to him. Any complaints about such things as music during practice or the new uniforms send directly to Justin Moore, the football operations director, a (halfway) joking Sumlin said.

* Sumlin said he has talked about a “three-month plan” to get the team in shape and headed in the right direction. But then Gov. Rick Perry, a former A&M yell leader, told him, “It sounds more official if you say ‘100-day plan.’”

* Sumlin said of his visit to the THSCA, “We’re trying to get the (high school) coaches back on our side in San Antonio.”

* Sumlin said it was a point of emphasis to ask the seniors – who had signed and played for his predecessor, Mike Sherman – to “trust” what the new staff was doing.

“Transition is hard on everybody,” Sumlin said. “And you’ve got some seniors and older guys who didn’t sign up for us.”

* Sumlin said he’ll continue using one player wearing the “12th Man” jersey, just as the Aggies have done since the R.C. Slocum era.

* One of many funny parts of the night occurred when Sumlin said he was sure many in the crowd were “anonymous posters on TexAgs.” So one fellow, when Sumlin was fielding questions from the crowd, first identified himself as “Spanky from TexAgs” so he would no longer be anonymous.